SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Wednesday that officers may have inadvertently shot and killed a woman inside an apartment as they fired on a suspect who was armed with a shotgun and had threatened his family and police during a standoff on Monday night.
McManus held a press conference Wednesday to update information about the death of Neida Tijerina, 29, which he called “an extremely tragic event for all involved.”
After offering his condolences to the family, McManus outlined Monday night’s events saying that police responded to an apartment in the 3100 block of Roosevelt after relatives reported that Angel Sanchez, 28, was suicidal and threatening to kill his common-law wife.
McManus said Sanchez was armed with a shotgun and was wearing body armor and had a history of family violence.
Records show Sanchez also has a lengthy criminal history. He was out on bond for an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon case that happened last August. He had to wear a GPS monitor as part of his bond agreement. Last Tuesday, just six days before the standoff, an arrest warrant was issued for him after he took off the GPS device.
During the standoff, Sanchez pointed a shotgun at the officers and taunted them in an effort to escalate the situation, McManus said. At one point, he also came outside carrying an infant.
Officers said Tijerina also came outside during the standoff and officers urged her to leave the home, but she did not want to leave several children inside whom police later said ranged in age from infant to 15 years old.
When Sanchez once again exited the apartment and pointed a shotgun at police, other officers who were positioned on the roof of a nearby apartment opened fire on Sanchez, injuring him.
Officers found Tijerina dead inside the apartment. McManus said while a Bexar County Medical Examiner cannot conclusively state whether her injuries were caused by the officers’ gunfire, the physical evidence appears to support that.
McManus said the shooting would be “investigated in its entirety” with three separate investigations, 2 conducted by SAPD and one that will be conducted by the Bexar County District Attorney’s office.
Video of the incident will not be released because the incident involves family violence, McManus said.
Sanchez was transported to the hospital in critical condition. He was later booked by proxy on three counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer.
Read also: